The expectation was that Luongo would have been traded by now and would never have needed to report to the Canucks. But a deal is clearly taking longer to consummate that expected.

“There’s a lot of stuff out there and it’s key to not pay attention to it as much as you can,” said Luongo. “When I’m on the ice I’m having fun and enjoying being around the guys and putting the work in. That’s all that matters.”

Luongo, who’s had a mixed history with shootouts, said he practiced shootouts when he was working out on his own in Florida.

“I did a lot of them early in the lockout, when I was on my own,” he said. “Obviously, it wasn’t against NHLers, but it carried over and I felt pretty good today. But a shootout doesn’t mean a whole lot in the big scheme of things.”

Luongo said he hadn’t heard anything from the coaching staff about when he might play if he’s still a Canuck when the season opens.

“I’m just enjoying my time right now and working hard towards Saturday (the Canucks open their season against Anaheim),” he said. “I haven’t heard anything and I’m just going to keep doing my thing.”

Schneider, a close friend of Luongo as well as his teammate for the moment, said he’s not surprised his goaltending partner is handling the uncertain situation well.

“I think the past few years he’s become more laid back and just takes things as they come, so he doesn’t worry about what’s out of his control,” said Schneider. “He’s handled this with a lot of class and dignity. We’ve been rooming together in the hotel and it’s been just fine.

“Sometimes when you’re playing without a care you can play your best hockey. He’s an intense guy and he works really hard but I think he lets a lot of the potentially negative attention roll off his back and even use it as a motivating tool.”

Schneider – who’s still making the technical adjustments from playing in Switzerland during the lockout — said he’s looking forward to the intra-squad games on Wednesday and Thursday to give him a sense of how close he is to being ready to start the regular season on Saturday against visiting Anaheim.

“We’re trying to get as much into a condensed camp, so until you really get into a game situation that’s when you’ll find out what’s going well and what you need to work on,” he said.

Schneider said he hadn’t heard yet from the coach if he’s playing both weekend games (the Canucks play Edmonton on Sunday), but is preparing as if he is.

“I think you always have to approach it that way, regardless of what your situation is,” he said. “I think everyone is excited to get started here and that’s almost a good thing, to just jump right into it.”

With the absence for the third straight day of David Booth (groin), the Canucks’ lines and defence pairings were the same as Monday:

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.